Chicago Sun Times highlights key facts for Chicago and L.A. as U.S. Olympic Bids are Considered: Eli’s Cheesecake one of Chicago’s signature foods v. tofu from L.A.

This Saturday the U.S. Olympic Committee will make the difficult choice between Chicago and Los Angeles to be the U.S. entry in the global competition to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. That decision for the host city will be made in 2009.

This week the Chicago Sun Times did a comparison of key facts in Chicago and L.A. These facts included population, landmarks, famous Chicagoans and signature foods. L.A. is best known for California style sushi, tofu. guacamole, fish tacos, chili dogs and chili-cheese burgers while Chicago is best known for deep dish pizza, Chicago-style hot dogs, beef sandwiches, Cheezborger, Cheezborger and, happily, Eli’s Cheesecake.

We were delighted to provide a signature Eli’s dessert for the Olympic Gala in Chicago and look forward to the City’s bid being victorious on Saturday in Washington D.C. when the votes are cast.

NICKNAMES:City Of The Big Shoulders, Hog Butcher For The World, The City That Works, Windy City, Second City, City On The Make.

HIGHLIGHTS OF OLYMPIC BID:Athletes would compete at 25 venues in a games that would be situated mostly around the downtown lakefront and in nearby parks. The compactness of the games has organizers bragging that nearly 90 percent of athletes would be within 15 minutes of their competition venues.

Athletes would live in a $1.1 billion lakefront village that would be built above existing truck parking lots just south of downtown near the convention
center, which would host sports events.

An 80,000-seat, $366 million temporary Olympic stadium would be built in a historic South Side park.

Civic leaders have raised more than $32 million to help finance Chicago’s bid, and the City Council has backed a $500 million financial guarantee that
puts taxpayers on the hook if the games come to the city and lose money.

SUMMARY OF OLYMPIC BID:The competitions would be at more than 30 venues. Opening and closing ceremonies would be at Memorial Coliseum, built for the 1932 Games and used for the same ceremonies at the 1984 Olympics. Other venues would be located in Long Beach, Anaheim and Pasadena, as well Las Vegas and San Francisco.

The Coliseum would be remodeled, adding 204 luxury boxes and other modern amenities at an estimated cost of $112 million. The Home Depot Center in Carson, proposed site of archery, cycling, soccer and tennis, would be expanded. A shooting range would be constructed at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in Pomona.

Light rail lines would be extended to connect several Olympic venues. More than $1 billion is to be spent widening several key freeways.

The 1984 L.A. Olympics were the first to make a profit, and officials hope to duplicate that effort largely through corporate sponsorships as they did last
time. California has committed to subsidizing the games with as much as $250 million in taxpayer money if they fail to turn a profit.